Trader Joe's to open Boulder store on Valentine's Day

Javier Esquivel shovels sand into a concrete mixer on Thursday, Nov. 7, while working on the new Trader Joe's location at 1906 28th St. in Boulder. (JEREMY PAPASSO)

Trader Joe's has set a Valentine's Day opening date for its Boulder grocery store.

The Monrovia, Calif.-based specialty grocer on Thursday announced that it plans to open its first three Colorado stores -- two Denver locations and the Boulder store at the Twenty Ninth Street mall -- at 8 a.m. Feb. 14. The grocery operator with a maritime theme and Hawaiian shirt-wearing employees will host a "ceremonial lei cutting" at each store, officials said.

Trader Joe's has gained a following for its selection of specialty food items and inexpensive products such as its Charles Shaw wine that became known as "Two-Buck Chuck" for its $1.99 price tag.

Per Colorado law, which limits grocery stores to one liquor license, the only Trader Joe's location in the state that will sell wine, beer and spirits is the company's store at Eighth and Colorado avenues in Denver.

Trader Joe's has two additional Colorado locations in the works, including another in Denver, at Seventh Avenue and Logan Street, and one in Fort Collins, off College Avenue and Horsetooth Road.

On Thursday, construction activity continued to progress at the Trader Joe's 1906 28th St. site in Boulder. The structure that consisted of a steel frame two months ago was wrapped by plywood and bricks, giving a hint of the exterior design to come.

When Trader Joe's opens in Boulder, it will enter a crowded grocery field that recently gained a new competitor in a Walmart Neighborhood Market.

Local industry analysts have said that Trader Joe's could pull sales from existing mid-tier grocers but also draw in customers from the region and bolster sales tax revenue for Twenty Ninth Street and the city of Boulder.

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story